


Try To Understand

by tjlyricz



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Katara is ticklish, Light Bondage, Tickle torture, Tickling, Zuko is too but Katara doesn't know it, interrogating, the pirate episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28558488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjlyricz/pseuds/tjlyricz
Summary: The flush in her cheeks deepened from a light pink to a crimson red. “I-I’m not going to tell you anything!” She spat out quickly.Zuko tilted his head to the side, the smirk coming back to his lips. “Oh, wait a minute,” the prince stuck up his pointer finger and traced the outline of her jaw, more goosebumps raising on her skin. Maybe he found a way to get her to talk without harming her after all.(Zuko knows the Avatar is near when he finds Katara. After trying to use her mother's necklace as a means to persuade her to give him Aang's location, Zuko accidently finds another way he might get the answers he needs.)
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	Try To Understand

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! This is my first tickle fic o.O Please no judgement lol I will disclose that a decent amount of the dialogue in the beginning is taken directly from the episode, so all credit of that awesomeness goes straight to the creators of this glorious show *prayer hands emoji*, after that it's all original *thrusts pointer finger into air*. Anywho, enjoy!

“I hear something, Sir!” One of the pirates whispered. “Is that the girl you were talking about?”

Zuko pulled back the bushes in a huff, shoving passed the built, burly man in front of him. “Let me through and I’ll tell you!” He pressed the branches to the side and squinted his eyes to see a girl dressed in Water Tribe clothes, failing at a basic waterbending tactic. It was her alright.

“Yes,” Zuko’s lips twitched. “That’s the girl.”

“Okay, what if I just… _ow_! Stupid scroll!” Katara groaned, whipping herself in the forehead with the water by the stream. She threw the parchment to the ground with a loud grunt, clearly agitated.

Zuko scanned the premises for the Avatar while the girl was distracted. The small monk was nowhere to be seen. A low growl ruptured from Zuko’s core.

“What should we do?” The pirate asked.

Zuko rolled his eyes with a scowl. _These filthy peasants know nothing_. “You try to grab her. If she escapes, I’ll handle it.”

The pirate nodded and raced for the Water Tribe girl. The large man wrapped his meaty hands around her shoulders. “Well, well, well, looks like I’ve found myself a little _thief_!”

Katara spung around, lashing water into the man’s face. “No! Let go of me!”

The man dropped her immediately, trying to wipe the water from his eyes and nose.

“I knew it, pathetic.” Zuko muttered. He braced himself for impact when she ran into him, not paying attention to where she was going.

Katara’s eyes snapped to his as he roughly grabbed her by her wrists. The expression she held was a mixture of fear and distain, a look he had become quite familiar with. “Don’t worry, I’ll save you from the pirates.”

The girl only shook her head. She tugged and tugged, but Zuko was strong, much stronger than she was. It didn’t matter how much she struggled, Zuko knew she couldn’t escape his grasp.

She hissed curses at him as he dragged her to a nearby tree.

“Hand me the rope!” He shouted to one of the pirates.

They were quick to respond.

Zuko was fast to get her tied to the tree, making sure her back was pressed against the bark with her wrists tied behind her around the trunk. She trashed vainly against the bounds.

“Let me _go_ , Zuko!” Katara spat out his name.

Zuko stood in front of her with his arms crossed. “Tell me where he is, and I won’t hurt you or your brother.” He promised, dismissing her demand. Zuko would never _actually_ hurt either of them. Not severely anyway. Zuko didn’t have the same taste for violence that his sister did. He would, however, do almost anything else to get his back in his father’s good graces.

“Go jump in the river!” The girl snarled, leaning forward in her bonds as if that would scare him.

Zuko glared at her before softening his expression. “Try to understand,” the prince started in as persuasive of a tone as he could muster.

Katara only continued to struggle against the tree, ignoring him.

Zuko wouldn’t tolerate being ignored. Heat boiled up inside him as he grabbed her chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing her icy blue eyes to look at him. “I need to capture him to restore something I’ve lost,” he pressed his free hand to his chest. “My honor.”

Katara jerked her chin out of Zuko’s grasp with a harsh grunt.

Zuko smirked as he walked around the tree, tugging his leverage out from his back pocket while he watched her wrists squirm in the rope. “Perhaps in exchange I can restore something _you’ve_ lost.” He held Katara’s necklace up to her neck.

He walked back in front of her, her eyes wide and surprised before shifting to full-blown rage. “My mother’s necklace! How did you get that?”

“I didn’t steal it if that’s what you’re wondering.” He wrapped the necklace around his knuckles gently. “ _Tell me_ where he is and you’ll get your necklace back.”

“Bite me!” The girl hissed, throwing her leg up in an attempt to kick him.

Zuko took a step back, standing more than a leg’s length away.

“What about the scroll? Give us the scroll!” One of the pirates emerged from the shadows.

“Oh Spirits,” he rolled his eyes. “You’ll get your scroll once I’m finished with her.” He pointed to the woods. “Go make yourself useful and find the monk. _Then_ you’ll get what you want.”

The pirate mumbled something under his breath. Zuko caught the words “I can’t believe it” and “brat” as the man walked away. Normally the prince would not stand for that behavior, but he had the girl who knew where the Avatar was in front of him. She had to be his focus.

“I’m not telling you anything, Zuko!” Katara spit at him.

The prince shook his head. “We’ll see about that.” Without a moment of hesitation, Zuko lunged forward, pressing his foot on the tips of her boots.

“Grrrrr!” Katara growled. She couldn’t get her feet out from under him. All she could do was squirm.

Zuko smirked again. “Just imagine how nice it would be to have this back where it belongs,” he unwound the necklace in his hand and pressed it against her neck, his fingertips brushing the soft skin in the crook of her neck and shoulder.

Katara released a small yelp, pinning her jawbone down against Zuko’s fingers.

He tore his fingers away, afraid that he had hurt her. His eyes expressed concern for a brief moment…

But then he noticed the girl’s cheeks flush a light pink in the moon’s light. Goosebumps scattered across her neck.

Zuko cocked an eyebrow, putting the necklace back in his pocket. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

The flush in her cheeks deepened from a light pink to a crimson red. “I-I’m not going to tell you anything!” She spat out quickly.

Zuko tilted his head to the side, the smirk coming back to his lips. “Oh, wait a minute,” the prince stuck up his pointer finger and traced the outline of her jaw, more goosebumps raising on her skin. Maybe he found a way to get her to talk without harming her after all.

Her breath hitched as he drew his finger further down her neck.

“You’re not _ticklish_ now, are you?” Zuko grinned cruelly.

The girl squirmed under his touch. “No, d-don’t be ridiculous! I-I just don’t like being this close to you!” She threw at him. Such a horrible liar. She was too innocent to know any better. This peasant couldn’t lie to save her life.

Zuko snorted. “Is that so?” His finger hovered just a hair away from the skin of her pulse point. “So, you’re telling me you _wouldn’t_ have a reaction if I were to do… _this_?” He poked her in the side of the neck, eliciting another yelp from the girl, her jaw pressing down on his finger once again. This time, instead of yanking his finger away, he decided to wiggle it around, feeling her pulse increase in speed and the flush in her cheeks grow deeper than before. A strangled giggle escaped her lips.

He wiggled and wiggled his finger, prompting more and more giggles. “Oh, this is adorable,” Zuko cooed.

“Stah-Stah-Stahahap!” Katara put more pressure on his fingers, but that made Zuko only wiggle his finger more.

“Why should I? You said you weren’t ticklish.” Zuko brought up his other finger and wiggled it teasingly in the air. “Maybe I should try on _this_ side, what do you think?”

The girl’s eyes widened as she attempted to shake her head. “Hehe-hehe-n-n-hehe!”

“Was that a nod?” Zuko asked mockingly, “I think that was a nod.” He poked the other side of her neck, forcing her to crank her neck against his other finger which he let wiggle underneath her jaw. “Well, what do you know,” Zuko pondered as more brief spats of soft giggles came from the girl’s lungs. “It looks like you’re ‘not ticklish’ on this side too.”

“Hehe-ha-stah-stah-stahahahop!” Katara pleaded again.

“I don’t think I should. It would appear that I have found a way where I can get information out of you without hurting you.” Zuko mused thoughtfully as he bounced the tips of his pointer fingers on either side of her neck, left then right, left then right. “Tell me where the Avatar is.”

The girl only responded with more light giggles. “Nehehe-nehe-nnnnoho!”

“Hm,” Zuko took his fingers back and tapped his chin, giving her a moment to breathe. “I guess just two fingers isn’t doing the trick, now is it?”

Zuko’s smirk resided happily on his lips as he watched Katara try to sink her head in between her shoulder blades, trying to shrink her neck to nothing.

“No, Zuko, _please_!” Katara shook her head.

“Tell me where the Avatar is and I won’t.” He tried to reason. “You’ll get your mother’s necklace back too.” He added, patting his pocket.

The Water Tribe peasant growled in frustration. “I said I’m not telling you _anything_.”

“Then it would seem I have no choice…” Without giving her time to brace herself, Zuko dug his fingers into the sides of her neck, wiggling the pads of his fingers over her jaw and down to the gap where her neck met the beginning of her shoulder.

“NOhohoHO!” Katara laughed, thrashing her head every which way she could.

Zuko found this to be very entertaining. He could see why people enjoyed it so much. On the right person, this method of interrogation or punishment could work. Spirits knew Azula found out it worked on him when they were kids. It’s true, he would never tell, but he, too, was extremely ticklish. In fact, Zuko’s _more_ ticklish than this peasant is. But that wasn’t something she needed to know. If anything, Zuko would make sure it worked to his advantage. What would be torture for him might be torture for her. He tried thinking of the other spots he could target.

_The collarbone._ Zuko noted. He kept one hand in the crook of her neck while the other trailed down and made lightly pressured circles and zig-zags on her collarbone, making her a twitching mess. “Let me guess, you’re ‘not ticklish’ there either, hm?”

This only sent the girl into a giggling frenzy.

“I’m not even putting that much pressure there,” Zuko hummed.

She wiggled and struggled in her bonds. Tugging at her wrists as her futile attempts to rip free went unattended.

“Tell me where the Avatar is.” Zuko repeated, putting more pressure on her collarbone, dancing his fingers over the skin at varying paces.

Katara shook her head fervidly, bouncing back and forth between trying to protect her neck and collarbone. “NohoHohaha!”

Zuko continued this treatment for another minute before deciding he should switch his next target spot.

The Water Tribe girl heaved, her face wearing different shades of red. Zuko watched with satisfaction as she pressed her neck down, avoiding eye contact with him.

“I wonder what other parts of your body are ‘not ticklish.’” Zuko used air quotes this time before crossing his arms thoughtfully.

Katara groaned, hitting her head against the tree, bringing her eyes to his. “ _Fine_! I’m ticklish! Are you happy now?”

Zuko shook his head. “I’m never happy, although I do find this entertaining.”

“You don’t have to do this, Zuko!”

Zuko scoffed. “You don’t know anything.” He tapped his chin as his eyes traveled down her body. _Well, I’d die if someone even poked my ribs._ Just the mere thought of being touched there made his stomach clench and sent his hands to wrap around his chest, pressing his hands down over his ribs, covering his weak points. He held back the flush that tried working its way to his cheeks. _That might work._ “Tell me where the Avatar is or this little session of ours is going to continue, you _ticklish_ peasant!”

The blush roared on her face, probably from embarrassment. Zuko knew that would happen to him if someone talked to him that way. All the more reason to tease. He needed to find the small monk.

“Y-You’re not getting any-anything out of me.”

Zuko could tell she tried to sound strong, but her voice shook, defeating the purpose. “That sounds like a challenge.” The prince hummed as he stalked his way back over to the girl. He hovered his fingers over her ribs, ghosting them around, watching her twitch when he hadn’t even touched her yet. “You’re _sure_ you don’t want to tell me?”

Katara produced a grunt as her response.

Zuko shrugged as a teasing smirk covered half his face. “Have it your way,” then he dug his fingers in the spaces between her ribs.

The girl’s whole body bucked and thrashed. “NOHOHOHAHAHA!” She tried bringing her feet up, Zuko could tell, but it wouldn’t work. He knew it wouldn’t work. She was trying too hard to double over, protect herself, but it wouldn’t work as Zuko danced his fingers up and down her sides, pinching her at her hips, running them all the way up to just below her underarms. “StahahAHAHAP!” Katara wheezed.

Zuko ignored her request as he quickened his pace. His fingers twiddled their way all over her sides, eliciting different levels of high-pitched laughter and giggles while he tried to find her sweet spots. _She’s really ticklish riiiight, here!_ The squeal she made was intense. Zuko wasn’t sure how long it had been since someone made him make that noise. He attacked the spot again and again.

“BAHAHAHHGGHAHAHA!” Katara was losing it. Her hairloops started to lose their grip, drooping over her shoulders. Zuko saw beads of tears rolling down her cheeks.

He slowed down his pace, now lethargically dragging his nails up and down the fabric of her sides, dangling her in anticipation for what he might do next. She continued to let out tiny half-giggles while she tried to catch her breath. She looked winded, as she should. Zuko wasn’t going to go easy on her. “Changed your mind yet?”

Katara twitched in Zuko’s grasp, her breath unsteady. “Nnno-noho-hehe-hehe!”

The prince’s patience was growing thin. “Suit yourself. I’ll just keep going until your _weakness_ leads him to me.”

Back to tickling he went. Katara howled under his fingers. Begs and pleads flooded from her lips, but he would show no mercy. She had her chance. If she talks, then she talks, but otherwise Zuko would not let up. He refused to back down. The Avatar was close. He had to be. Zuko wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by him.

“ZUKOHOHOHAHAHA!” The girl thrashed and thrashed, heaving and heaving. “PAPAHAHAHA-LEHEHEHEZ!”

“Sorry, I can’t understand you when you’re laughing like that,” he mocked. “Maybe if you tried saying where the Avatar is, my ears would listen.”

This only evoked more laughs from within the girl’s lungs. Zuko had to admit, she was strong. He didn’t know if he’d have lasted this long without at least trying to come up with a lie. He wouldn’t completely break, but definitely would have tried bargaining with her at this point. Realizing this sent frustration to ping down his spine.

 _I can’t let a Water Tribe peasant be stronger than me_. The prince dug in deeper, now varying his speed and the amount of pressure he applied, leaving her to question and anticipate just how he was going to take advantage of her.

“ZukZukZukoHAHAHA!” The girl had trouble forming sentences.

“What was that?” Zuko grunted. “It almost sounded like my name.” He squinted his eyes and decided to take on her underarms.

“EEEEEP! HEHEHE-HAHAHA-BAHGAHHAHAHAH!” Katara squealed and squawked.

Zuko smirked as he tortured her exposed pits. He watched at how helpless she looked, how she couldn’t move her arms enough to even remotely hinder the plans Zuko’s fingers had. They danced and twirled, ebbed and flowed, bounced and scratched.

Then he heard voices from within the woods.

“That sounds like Katara’s laugh!” A squeaky voice shouted.

“That’s gotta be her,” a lower voice replied.

“Finally!” Zuko took his hands away from Katara. He stepped back, leaving her in a tied-up heaving, twitching, sweaty mess. “I’ll have the Avatar in my grasp. I’ll get my honor back.”

Katara shook her head as she panted in shallow breaths. “You’ll…nevv-err…get him!”

Zuko smirked, putting his hands on his hips in premature victory. He felt the girl’s necklace in his pocket. The prince pulled the jewelry out and stroked the hand-carved pendent with his thumb.

He could feel Katara’s glare burning into him. He was used to that as well.

Zuko sighed and walked back over to her.

“Come one step closer and-and I’ll—!”

Zuko quickly reached out and wrapped the necklace around her neck before she could finish her threat.

He heard her gasp and then watched her facial expression change from fuming rage and fear to confusion.

Zuko almost smiled, but instead he narrowed his eyes. “Thanks for being the perfect bait.” Then he took off running in the direction of the voices. They belonged to that Water Tribe wannabe warrior and the Avatar. “This time you’re mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii again! :) I hope you enjoyed the fic! Please let me know if you liked the fic or if there was something else I could do better/what you'd like to see in a future fic. (SPOILER ALERT: I'm planning to write a "Part 2" where Katara gets revenge on Zuko at the Western Air Temple mwhaha!) Thanks for reading :D
> 
> 1/15/2021 EDIT: Part 2 is now up :D This is the link to the fic if you'd like to see what Katara does ;) https://archiveofourown.org/works/28784439 
> 
> Thanks again!


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